Deuteronomy · Chapter 5

[ edit] And Moyſes clepide al Yrael, and ſeide to hym, Here, Yrael, cerymoyns, and domys, þat I ſpeke in ȝoure eris to day; lerne ȝe hem, and fulfilliþ in dede. Þe Lord oure God haþ couenauntid wiþ vs a boond of pees in Oreb; not wiþ oure fadres he made couenaunt, but wiþ vs, þat nowe ben, and lyuen. Face to face he haþ ſpoke to vs in þe hil, fro þe myddil of fier. I felawe and meene was bitwix God and ȝow in þat tyme, þat I tolde to ȝow þe wordis of hym; forſoþe ȝe dreden þe fier, and ȝe ſtieden not into þe hil. And he ſeiþ, I þe Lord þi God, þat haue ladde þee out of þe loond of Egipte, fro þe hows of ſeruage. Þow ſhalt not haue alyen goddis in my ſiȝt.

Þow ſhalt not make to þee grauen þing, ne liknes of alle þingis þat in heuen ben aboue, and þat in erþe byneþe, and þat dwellen in watres vndur erþe; þow ſhalt not honoure hem, ne herye; forſoþe I am þe Lord þi God, a ielouſe God, ȝeeldynge wickidnes of fadres into ſones, into þe þridde and þe ferþe generacioun to hem þat hatiden me, and doynge mercy into many þowſandes to hem þat louen me, and kepen myn heeſtes. Þow ſhalt not myſtaak þe name of þe Lord þi God idillich, for he ſhal not be vnpunyſhid, þat vpon veyn þing þe name of hym takiþ. Kepiþ þe day of þe ſaboþ, þat þow halwe it, as þe Lord þi God haþ comaundid to þee.

Six dayes þow ſhalt worche, and doo alle þi werkis; þe ſeuenþe day is of þe ſaboþ, þat is þe reſt of þe Lord þi God. Þow ſhalt not doo in it eny þing of werke, þow, and þi ſone, and dowȝter, ſeruaunt, and handmayden, and oxe, and aſſe, and al þi beeſt, and pilgryme þat is wiþ ynne þi ȝatis; þat þi ſeruaunt and handmayde reſten, and as þow. Haue mynde, þat and þi ſelf ſeruede in Egipte, and þe Lord þi God ladde þee out þens in a ſtronge hoond, and in an arme ſtreiȝt out; þerfore he haþ comaundid to þee, þat þow kepe wel þe day of þe ſaboþ.

Honour þi fader and þi moder, as þe Lord þi God haþ comaundid to þee, þat longe tyme þow lyue, and wel be to þee in þe loond þat þe Lord þi God is to ȝyuynge to þee. Þow ſhalt not ſlee. And þow ſhalt do no leccherye. And þow ſhalt doo no þeft. Þou ſhalt not ſpeke aȝens þi neiȝbore fals witnes. Þow ſhalt not coueyte þe wijf of þi neiȝbour, ne hows, ne feelde, ne ſeruaunt, ne handmayde, ne oxe, ne aſſe, and alle þingis þat of hym ben.

Þes wordes þe Lord ſpak to al oure multitude, in þe hil, of þe myddel of fier and clowde and derkneſſe, wiþ a greet voyce, no þinge addinge more ouer; and he wroot hem in two ſtonen tablis, þat he took to me. Ȝe forſoþe, after þat ȝe herden a voice fro þe myddel of derkneſſis, and þat ȝe ſeen þe hil to brenne, ȝe comen to me alle þe princes of þe lynages, and þe more þurȝ birþe, and ſeiden, Loo! þe Lord oure God haþ ſhewid to vs maieſte, and his mychylneſſe; þe voyce of hym we han herd fro þe myddil of þe fier, and we han preued to day þat þurȝ God ſpekynge wiþ man a man lyueþ. Whi þanne ſhulen we die, and ſhal deuowre vs þis mooſt fier?

Forſoþe if we heren more þe voice of þe Lord oure God, we ſhulen die. What is al fleſh, þat he here þe voice of God lyuynge, þat fro þe myddil of fier ſpekiþ, as we han herd, and myȝten lyue? Þow more goo niȝ, and here alle þingis þat þe Lord oure God ſhal ſeye to þee; and þow ſhalt ſpeke to vs, and we herynge ſhal doon hem. Þe which þing whanne þe Lord hadde herd, ſeiþ to me, I haue herd þe voys of þe wordes of þis puple, þat þei han ſpokun to þee; wel alle þingis þei han ſpokun. Who ȝyueþ hem ſiche þouȝt to haue, þat þei dreden me, and kepen alle my maundementis in al tyme, þat wel it be to hem, and to þe ſones of hem, into wiþ outen ende? Go, and ſey to hem, Turneþ aȝen into ȝoure tentis.

Forſoþe þow ſtoond here wiþ me, and I ſhal ſpeke to þee al þe maundementis, and ceremoyns, and domes, þat þow ſhalt teche hem, þat þei doon hem in þe loond þat Y ſhal ȝeue to hem into poſſeſſioun. Kepe ȝe þerfore, and doþ hem, þe whiche þe Lord God haþ comaundid to ȝow; ȝe ſhulen not bowe aſide, ne to þe ryȝt, ne to þe left, but bi þe weie þat þe Lord ȝoure God haþ comaundid, ȝe ſhulen goo, þat ȝe lyuen, and wel be to ȝow, and ȝoure daies ben drawun along in þe loond of ȝoure poſſeſſyoun.